Retracting type theater chair



D 1949 J. J. ROMAN 2,492,119

RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR Filed Aug. 2, 1946 r 3 Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR .John .11 Roman D, 20,1949 1 J. J. ROMAN 2,492,119

RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR 1 Filed Aug. 2, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z5 Z2 16 15 i l I l l I k 3' g 5 I 1 m 1 I m 11. l

INVENTOR J Ogu J Roman ORNEY 20,1949 J. J. ROMAN 2,492,119

RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR Filed Au 2, 194a f s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR fiber, .I Rom an BY W ORNEY Patented Dec. 20, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR John-J. Roman, Grand Rapids, Mich; assignor to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids,

Mich., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 2, 1946, SerialNo; 687,935

I 6 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to chairs and mm! wtiwularly to chairs of the retracting type 1w humiliation-in theaters, auditoriums and the m 'Ihioappiieation is a continuation-in-part 1am co-oendins application Serial No. 686,674, Wil -1132?; 1946.

obiects of the invention are to wovide-mimpmved chair of the retracting type mm the vhair occupant may move rearwardly in a sitting position inorder to permit other the I occupant; and ingeneral to provide a re"- whieh is efficient: in operation, reambty economical-in manufacture, and attractive-inappearame.-

M1 fllustrativeembodiment of the invention is shown in the'accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure i isaperspective view of a retracting their in its forward 1 position ot occupancy;

mus c 2 la e sectional view of the same taken ow line l lofl ieured;

Figure 3- is a tragmentary front elevational showing the right: handside of the: chair;

Figure one perspective view similar to Figure 1-; And Showing the chair in its rearwardly retreated p siti n;

Ilaure 5 is a-seetionai view similar to Figure 2 and showing the parts of thechair in their rearmow momd positions;

Figure 6 is a Lfragmentary side elevational view not mo omer part ot'a chair supporting standard and show-ins a modified construction of the chair We 7 is airagmentary rear elevational view at the some:

a-ia'airagmentary top plan a view of the same, a portion ot the arm rest being. broken an? i Figure 9 is-a tragmentary side elevational view M the W1 part of a chair supporting standard and showing another modified construction of the i We 1-0 leatragmentary rear elevational. view otthesamenow in detail. tothese drawings; the chair there shownis mounted upon a {some which comprises spaced, upright. standards which may besecured. to thefloor in any suitmt manner and which are desirably connected by a suitable cross-tie llh- Arm rests t2 are each standard. In and secured mtomconventionaimanner.

The chair proper generally comprises a seat and back assembly in which the chair seat Iii-and the chair back M are pivotall-y connected for rel-a tive movement. The chair back M- is mounted at its opposite sides on spaced'ba'ck carriers l5 as by means of screws or rivets It. The chair seat I3 is mounted on spacedseat' carriers l1 atopposite sides thereof by means of brackets I8 secured to the seat i3 as by rivets lfl and which brackets it are pivotally connected at 20 to the seat car riers H.

The rearward ends 01' the seat carriers H are pivotally connected at H to thelower; rearward ends or corners of the adjacent back carriers it; thus connecting the seat and back in pivoted assembly.

The seat carriers l1 and back carriers II are mounted on the standards in: byfimeans' or rear depending links 22 having their upper ends pivotally connected to the standards and their lower ends pivotally connected to depending rear legs 23 of the seat carriers IT. The seat and back assembly is thussupported in the rear for -forward and rearward movements by the swingable depending links 22 Intermediate de ending links 24- sunuort-the back carriers l5 and back l4 forwardly of the rear links 22, said links 24 having: their upper ends pivotally connected to the standards it and their lower ends pivotally connected to the for"- ward parts of the backcarriers I5 These swing-'- able intermediate links are or greater length than the distance between the pivotal connections of the links 22 to the standards I0 and thepi'votal connections between the seat carriers I1 and the back car'riers'l5, and by this arrangement as the chairb'ack is moved rearwardl y it is also tiltedto' a near-vertical position thus to minimizethe space required to the rear of the chairi'o'r retraction.-

The forward portions o'fthe seat carriers I1 and oi" the seat It are forwardly-rearwardly movably supported by swingable, depend'ing iront links-128' having their upper ends pivotally connected to the standards It) and their lower ends pivotallv connected to depending. front legs 28 on the seat carriers H.

It will be seen that as the chairis retractedby the occupant thereof, the-seat moves rearwardiy in a substantially straight path while the back moves rearwardly and issimultaneously tiirned to a near vertical position: as: seen in Figure 5'.- Ihis rearwardvretracting movementis stopped by contact of the front links 25' with the: cross tie l t of the frame. Forward, returningmoveinent: oi the chair from itsposition showni-n Figure ate its position shown in Figure 2 is similarly stopped by contact of the depending rear legs 23 of the seat carriers [1 with the cross-tie l I.

It will be seen that the chair seat l3 may be folded upwardly to facilitate sweeping under the chair independently of its retracting and returning movements, by reason of its pivotal mountings on the seat carriers IT, and the seat is supported in its lowered, substantially horizontal position for occupancy by cooperating stops 2'! on the brackets l8 and 28 on the seat carriers l1.

Figures 6-8 inclusive and Figures 9-10 illustrate two modified constructions designed to reduce the amount of work required to install chairs of this type in a theater and thus to reduce installation costs. In Figures 6-8, the upper ends of the links 22 24 and 25 are pivotally connected to a mounting member which fits into a recess 3| in the adjacent standard I0 The mounting members 30 of adjoining chairs which members are thus fitted into recesses 3| on opposite sides of a middle standard I0 are secured in place by means of a single bolt 32 passing through aligned apertures in the mounting members and the standard, and provided with a nut 33.

In Figures 9 and 10, the upper ends of the depending links 22 24 and 25 are similarly pivot ally connected to a mounting member 35 which fits into a recess 36 in the adjacent standard lil The mounting members 35 of adjoining chairs which members are thus fitted into recesses 35 on opposite sides of a middle standard [0 are secured in place by means of a flanged plate 31 fastened as by screws 38 to the underside of the armrest H Inwardly turned flanges 39 on the plate 31 are slid into grooves 40 in the standards and ll in the mounting blocks to thus secure these parts in assembly.

In either of the modifications above described, the depending links of the structure may be assembled to the mounting members 30 or 35 at the factory where costs are usually lower than at the place of installation. The chair units thus assembled may thereafter be readily installed on standards previously set in place in a theater or the like.

While but several specific embodiments of the invention have been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

' I claim:

' 1. In a chair, a frame, a seat and back assembly wherein the seat and back are pivotally connected for relative movement, said pivotal connections being disposed rearwardly with respect to the frame and said seat and back having extensions forwardly of said pivotal connections, a pair of links swingably depending from the frame and pivotally connected to the rearward part of the seat and back assembly, a second pair of links swingably depending from the frame and pivotally connected to the forward extensions on the back, and a third pair of links swlngably depending from the frame and pivotally connected to the forward extensions on the seat.

2. In a chair, a frame, mounting members adapted for attachment to the frame at the upper opposite sides thereof; a seat and back assembly wherein the seat and back are pivotally connected for relative movement, said pivotal connections being disposed rearwardly with respect to the frame and said seat and back having extensions forwardly of said pivotal connections, a pair of links swingably depending from the mounting members and pivotally connected to the rearward part of the seat and back assembly, a second pair of links swingably depending from the mounting members and pivotally connected to the forward extensions on the back, and a third pair of links swingably depending from the mounting members and pivotally connected to the forward extensions on the seat.

3. In a chair, a frame, spaced seat carriers and back carriers arranged with a pivotally connected seat carrier and back carrier at each opposite side of the frame, said pivotal connections being disposed rearwardly with respect to the frame and said seat carriers and back carriers having portions extending forwardly of said pivotal connections, a seat mounted on the seat carriers, a back mounted on the back carriers, a pair of links swingably depending from the frame and pivotally connected at their lower ends to the rearward parts of the seat carriers, a second pair of links swingably depending from the frame and pivotally connected at their lower ends to the forwardly extending portions of the back carriers, and a third pair of links swingably depending from the frame and pivotally connected at their lower ends to the forwardly extending portions of the seat carriers.

4. In a chair, a frame, spaced seat carriers and back carriers arranged with a pivotally connected seat carrier and back carrier at each opposite side of the frame, said pivotal connections being disposed rearwardly with respect to the frame and said seat carriers and back carriers having portions extending forwardly of said pivotal connections, a seat mounted on the seat carriers turnably about a horizontal axis, cooperating stop means on the seat and the seat carriers for supporting the forward portion of the seat when the same is in a substantially horizontal position for occupancy, a back mounted on the back carriers, a pair of links swingably depending from the frame and pivotally connected at their lower ends to the rearward parts of the seat carriers, a second pair of links swingably depending from the frame and pivotally connected at their lower ends to the forwardly extending portions of the back carriers, and a third pair of links swingably depending from the frame and pivotally connected at their lower ends to the forwardly extending portions of the seat carriers.

5. In a chair, spaced chair-supporting standards, spaced seat carriers and spaced back carriers associated with said standards and having pivotal connections at their rearward ends, said pivotal connections being disposed rearwardly with respect to the standards and said seat carriers and back carriers having portions extending forwardly of said pivotal connections, a seat mounted on the seat carriers, a back mounted on the back carriers, and means for mounting the seat carriers on the standards for forward and rearward movements and the back carriers on the standards for forward and rearward movements and tilting movement about a horizontal axis, said means comprising rear links having their upper ends pivotally connected to the standards and their lower ends pivotally connected to the rearward ends of the seat carriers, intermediate links having their upper ends pivotally connected to the standards and their lower ends piv otally connected to the forward ends of the back carriers, and front links having their upper ends pivotally connected to the standards and their lower ends pivotally connected to the forward ends of the seat carriers.

6. In a chair, spaced chair-supporting standards, spaced seat carriers and spaced back carrlers associated with said standards and havin pivotal connections at their rearward ends, said pivotal connections being disposed rearwardly with respect to the standards and said seat carriers and back carriers having portions extending forwardly of said pivotal connections, a seat mounted on the seat carriers turnably about a horizontal axis, cooperating stop means on the seat and the seat carriers for supporting the forward portion of the seat when the same is in a substantially horizontal position for occupancy, a back mounted on the back carriers, and means for mounting the seat carriers on the standards for forward and rearward movements and the back carriers on the standards for forward and rearward movements and tilting movement about a horizontal axis, said means comprising rear links having their upper ends pivotally connected to the standards and their lower ends pivotally REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 516,110 Pynchon Mar. 6, 1894 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 42,408 France July 19, 1933 105,744 Australia Nov. 17, 1938 268,482 Great Britain Apr. 7, 1927 691,437 Germany May 2'7, 1940 

